


DragonQuest

by crocustongues



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: A hero's journey, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Gen, Spells & Enchantments, datekou as a circus, dragon (singular) the hero of our story, rife with more problems than an obstacle course & lots of funnies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 06:45:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15479916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crocustongues/pseuds/crocustongues
Summary: Tendou Satori has now officially been looking for his best friend in the streets outside the Imperial Palace for a whole hour.An hour. When he could be looking for his lost bundle of goods. And Rule One of Peddlerhood wasDon’t ever, under any circumstances, Lose Your Goods. Well, it can’t be helped now.But Tendou’s not worried. Not one bit. It’s Ushijima Wakatoshi, after all. Wakatoshi can take care of himself, he tells the feeling building up in his gut.And when Goshiki, part-time Mage apprentice, full-time friend, comes running full speed at Tendou, yelling abouta dragon! Tendou-san, there’s a dragon in the woods!The feeling in his gut intensifies tenfold.





	DragonQuest

**Author's Note:**

> hey all! i wrote this for the haikyuu!! fantasy zine (the pdf for which is still available to purchase! [here!!!](https://fantasyzines.bigcartel.com/product/worlds-away-a-haikyuu-fantasy-zine-ezine))

Tendou Satori has now officially been looking for his best friend in the streets outside the Imperial Palace for a whole hour.

An hour. When he could be looking for his lost bundle of goods. And Rule One of Peddlerhood was _Don’t ever, under any circumstances, Lose Your Goods_. Well, it can’t be helped now.

But Tendou’s not worried. Not one bit. It’s Ushijima Wakatoshi, after all. Wakatoshi can take care of himself, he tells the feeling building up in his gut.

And when Goshiki, part-time Mage apprentice, full-time friend, comes running full speed at Tendou, yelling about _a dragon! Tendou-san, there’s a dragon in the woods!_ The feeling in his gut intensifies tenfold.

“What?”

“There’s a dragon! In the woods!”

“OK, and?” He wonders about Goshiki sometimes, and if working under Shirabu is taking its toll on him.

Goshiki stops at being questioned like this. _Why is the dragon so important, again? Oh, yes._

“Ushijima-san was in the woods! What if the dragon ate him? He didn’t answer when I called out to him.” Goshiki’s all wide eyes.

There are very few things that worry Tendou. In fact, he prides himself on staying unworried on most occasions, saying that someone (a pointed look is thrown at one Semi Eita, worrier extraordinaire) had to remain calm in the face of crisis.

There were only four or five things that he had catalogued thus far that could make his insides flip-flop and turn inside out. One was Shirabu when he looked at him in disappointment (he’d take being skewered and kebab-ed by the dragon than be given The Look by Shirabu, honestly). Then there was rain, closely followed by cats and losing his belongings, and finally (and most importantly) his friends being in any kind of danger. And now, Ushijima was probably busy being digested by a dragon of all things.

“Lead the way,” he tells Goshiki, who does as he’s asked and sprints back the way he came with Tendou in tow.

“What were you doing in the woods anyway? Aren’t you supposed to be studying?” he asks Goshiki.

“I _was_ studying!” A clear lie told too loud and too fast.

“Yeah? Want me to tell on you?”

“No! I was collecting herbs for Shirabu-san’s potions for the shop, I swear! I may have…” the rest of the sentence was lost in mumbles.

“You killed a man and buried him among the daisies?”

“Not so loud! I said I may have gotten lost! I was by the apple trees when I saw Ushijima-san talking to someone. I turned around for a second but by then, the dragon was already there.”

At least no one died. Except Ushijima. Maybe. Tendou’s gut coils in on itself at the thought.

Goshiki didn’t have to say anything when they reach the little clearing. A dragon the size of the King’s carriage was curled up among the mayflowers and peonies. It would have made for a scenic image—not uncommon in this part of the woods where unicorns come to graze and golden apples on willowy trees glint in the late afternoon sunlight—had Tendou not been absolutely convinced that this dragon was napping right after eating his best friend. His next course of action, at least in his head, made perfect sense. Throwing rocks at a fully mature, extremely dangerous fire-breathing dragon.

The moment he makes eye contact with the dragon’s sleepy gaze, Tendou knows things aren’t quite what they seem to be. 

“What’ve you done with Ushijima-san!” Goshiki yells at the dragon and Tendou has to award him full points for at least _trying_ to intimidate a creature thrice his size with just words.

The dragon chooses to stay silent a little longer (at this point, Tendou’s convinced dragons don’t talk, but most of dragon-lore comes solely from word of mouth and bedtime stories, both of which he trusts less than a shady potions master in a dark alleyway) and Tendou’s starting to get antsy. Goshiki looks terrified and furious at the same time.

Unsurprisingly, when the dragon finally speaks, both Tendou and Goshiki are stunned into silence.

“Satori? Tsutomu? What time is it? I think I slept in too late.”

The deadpan voice is _extremely_ familiar.

To think they’d encroached a fearsome dragon’s territory, so sure that it had engulfed Ushijima Wakatoshi, _their_ Wakatoshi-kun, whole with no trace, only for it to turn out to be the man—or dragon—himself was rather overwhelming. The natural reaction is, of course, to scream loudly and throw questions at Ushijima The Dragon.

Ushijima is kind enough to lift them up and fly them out of the woods once he’s assured them that he is, in fact, in the best of health, and not an imposter. Way up in the clouds, Tendou and Goshiki try their best to explain the situation to Ushijima, who in turn does his best to fill the missing details as best as he could. Except one tiny, almost inconsequential detail.

“So, Wakatoshi-kun, how’re you going to turn back?” Tendou looks at Ushijima expectantly, once they’ve landed safely outside the Woods, just in time before sunset.

“I…don’t know, Satori. Oikawa said something about turning into a beast, but I don’t think it worked. He really should have come—“

“Now, now, Wakatoshi-kun, if this is how you spoke to him, no wonder he’s Cursed you! And, in case it escaped your notice, you’re a”—Tendou gestures vigorously—“dragon! How will we take you anywhere? Dragons are pretty much a legend in these parts. What if someone sees you?”

Tendou looks at Goshiki, who’s staring starry eyed at Ushijima’s iridescent scales, twilight bouncing off of them in a thousand different shades. 

“Goshiki, can you turn him back?” Tendou knows the futility of his question, but he asks anyway.

Goshiki shakes his head. “Only the caster can reverse the curse.” After a moment of hesitation, he says, “We could ask Shirabu-san for help.”

Tendou thinks of the Look of Disappointment awaiting him. Well, there’s nothing they can do, now. Shirabu’s their only option now.

“Let’s go,” he tells them, and after only a slight disaster of a burned tree trunk, they’ve managed to cast a moderately functional Invisibility Spell.

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰

It must say something about Shirabu and Semi when they don’t notice the roof falling down in the next room. _What_ it says about them, however, is drowned out by the sound of heatedly exchanged words.

“You’re _not_ supposed to add bay leaves to the brew!”

“It says so right here, you’d know if you ever bothered to read the book.”

“Ever heard of altering the recipe to suit the occasion?”

“And the crushed salamander toes added themselves in, did they?”

“That’s acceptable, but bay leaves will _ruin_ —“

The door creaks open and Goshiki and Tendou are exposed. They’ve clearly been eavesdropping and Shirabu sighs irritably.

“Back finally, Goshiki?”

Goshiki yelps. Semi frowns even harder, and nudges Shirabu’s shoulder.

“For Merlin’s s—I’m not going to eat you! You’ve been out the whole day! We need to make deliveries, idiot, come on.”

Goshiki mouths a ‘help me’ at Tendou, who understands at once that ‘making deliveries’ is code for ‘casting spells’ and Goshiki _hates_ casting spells. He’s dragged away by Shirabu anyway.

“Kenjirou-kun, what do you know about dragons?” Tendou calls. Semi’s frown lines deepen ever so slightly.

“First off, stop calling me that, and secondly, can’t it wait?” Shirabu’s voice carries in the cottage. There’s a pregnant pause as he presumably finds the punched-in roof and a giant dragon in his bedroom.

“Why,” he says blankly, “is there a hole in my roof.”

Tendou, perceptive as he is, keeps his mouth shut. Goshiki, who isn’t, speaks up. He narrowly misses getting hit by a book. Goshiki never learns, Tendou thinks passively.

“Ushijima got turned into a dragon by Oikawa. How do we reverse that?” Brevity is key when dealing with an irritable Shirabu Kenjirou.

“He was in the Woods, and apparently Oikawa was there, too, and Goshiki here saw the entire thing go down, right?” He looks expectantly at Goshiki, who’s shaking his head frantically.

“Ushijima-san was talking to someone, and then he turned into a dragon, I didn’t see anything, honest!” Goshiki pleads.

“Same difference,” Tendou says dismissively.

“Where’s Ushijima-san?” Shirabu demands.

“In the room with the hole.”

Shirabu pinches the bridge of his nose and breathes deeply. Tendou can tell by Shirabu’s body language that He did Not sign up for this. He should probably ask for a raise the next time he goes to The Imperial Court, in Tendou’s esteemed opinion. 

The room is contemplatively silent for a while, save for Shirabu’s deep breathing anger management exercises and the bubbling of the old-fashioned pewter cauldron in the fireplace. 

“So, how are we turning Ushijima-san back?” Goshiki asks, breaking the silence as easily as he broke the Princess’ glass slipper just before the Ball last month.

“ _We?_ What do y—Ouch!” Shirabu rubs his arm and glares balefully at Semi, who’s digging deep into his Backpack of Everlasting Resources. It’s not actually called that, but Tendou isn’t a hundred percent sure if the backpack is actually Enchanted or if Semi’s just that well prepared.

“Alright, let’s see—Wakatoshi, can you read this?” Semi inquires of a now-visible Ushijima, crouching down with an enormous tome—one that could _not_ have _possibly_ been pulled out of tiny backpack like Semi’s. 

Ushijima nods and everyone huddles around the pair. Semi clicks his tongue.

“Shirabu, lights, please.”

Shirabu grunts in response, and waves his hand around, a careless motion to the untrained eye, but Shirabu was a Master of Magic, and immediately amorphous mists begin to lift from the floor up, and the roof was soon lit up with a soft, cosy glow, perfect reading atmosphere.

“Hm, so it seems that we really must find the caster to reverse the spell; there’s no other way. Where does Oikawa live?” Semi’s question is met with an awkward hush. 

“Wakatoshi?”

“I know he was born in Aoba.”

“And?”

“Maybe he’s come to visit someone?” Goshiki chimes in.

It’s Semi’s turn to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Shirabu?”

“On it.”

It is, perhaps, not the first time they have been thankful they’re friends with a powerful mage who’s willing to help them all out in a pinch. It is, however, the first time they’ve seen Shirabu’s magic come up empty handed.

“Oikawa’s a powerful sorcerer. How is it that no one knows where he lives? He can’t be like Howl, right?” Goshiki questions, and the scared undertone makes Tendou wants to wrap him up in a soft, fluffy blanket, despite the fact that in a fair fight, Goshiki could knock him out.

“He’s blocking my Tracer Spell. We’re going to have to look for him the old fashioned way.” A frustrated sigh escapes Shirabu as the mist melts away into nothingness.

“And what way is that?” Tendou whisper-asks Semi.

“Ever heard of a Quest, Peddler Man?” Semi whisper-answers.

“ _Please_ don’t call me that, Semisemi.”

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰

Their first order of business is visiting the Oracle.

Trekking through the hinterlands that encompass their Kingdom, through the Stormy Forest, via the Tunnel of Secrets, braving rain and bugs and by sunrise they’ve arrived at the doorstep of the Oracle themself. 

“Why didn’t we just have Wakatoshi-kun fly us here?” Tendou pants. The three hundred and forty-nine steps have not been kind on him.

“Don’t want to be conspicuous. Dragon poachers are still on the prowl, Satori,” Semi chastises, climbing off Shirabu’s trusty little magic carpet, which conveniently carries a maximum of two people. 

Goshiki had spent the entire journey thus far ooh-ing and aah-ing at Ushijima’s New Look, and vowed (at least twenty-six times, the last Tendou remembers) that he’d definitely be a better dragon than Ushijima could ever be. Ushijima has thus far replied sincerely with best wishes. It had made Tendou want to break something. Preferably his own neck but Ushijima’s Curse would be more pragmatic, if Semi has any say in it.

Shirabu rolls his eyes at them and rings the bell to an inconspicuous little shack, which a passerby would overlook without second thought, but was actually the home to renowned (at least to the Right People during the Quest Ages) Oracle, Sugawara Koushi.

“Do you think they’re still alive? After all these years?” Goshiki asks, and Tendou has to wonder where this kid’s imagination travels, sometimes.

“Don’t be silly. They’re an Oracle. Oracles don’t die until a new one is chosen, and perhaps not even then,” Shirabu tacks on as an afterthought.

“So…what’re they like?” Goshiki asks.

“Let’s see.” Semi’s digging around his knapsack again, ready to pull out another heavy tome he carries around for ‘Light Reading’. It’s a book called ‘Seeing those that See’. Tendou’s kind of disappointed there wasn’t a pun in the title.

“Oracles are supernatural beings, each chosen by their predecessor, and once obtaining the title, stay in power for as long as they choose to,” Semi reads aloud. 

“They can choose to look human, if they wish to befriend or trap humans, so beware. Not all Oracles are helpful but they may be bribed. Humans, Elves, and especially Fairies are recommended to proceed with caution.”

“Huh. Sounds _fun_ ,” Tendou says to the singular cloud blowing in the wind. 

The door opens the next moment. None of them can quite believe that this nervous lad with the most ridiculous cowlick and an enormous smattering of freckles tessellating across his nose was The Sugawara Koushi, Oracle Extraordinaire, Soothsayer of the Quest Ages, Hoarder of Important Information Granted in the Form of Almost Unsolvable Riddles that are Cracked Only in the Nick of Time.

“Are you Sugawara-san?” Goshiki asks inquisitively, wondering if this boy was any taller than he was.

“No. They’re having tea, though. I can take you to them, if you like.” 

They follow him inside, as does a foreboding feeling that Something isn’t Quite Right.

The antechamber is filled with thick books, yellowing, crinkley paged, dusty books. There’s an empty aquarium to their left, smashed in at the top, the ceiling’s damp, and what seems like expired candy in a bowl next to the door marked ‘OFFICE’.

“They're inside.” He turns at his heels and disappears down a hallway.

Still, there’s nothing they can do now, and after some squeezing and pushing and complaining, they manage to accommodate Ushijima.

“Yamaguchi? Who was at the door?” A disembodied voice is heard before the door swooshes open with a gust of chilly wind blowing around their ankles. Looking twenty years old at best, with silvery hair and a bright smile to match, Sugawara Koushi stands at the doorway.

“Suga-san, these travellers have come to visit you for something,” their guide says, by way of introduction.

“Me? No one’s come to visit for so long…” The look Sugawara has in their eyes can only be described as wistful. “Come in, come in. I’m sorry the office is in such shambles but we weren’t expecting visitors. Who are you? Where have you come from? Is that a dragon? Yamaguchi, make tea for our friends.” Rapid fire words shoot out of Sugawara’s mouth like arrows at the enemy line as they usher their visitors into a cramped little room marked ‘OFFICE’ at the door.

Yamaguchi, their guide so far, complies and leaves Sugawara had so charitably called the office. The rest sit down on any available space they can find. Shirabu and Semi squeeze themselves onto the couch. Goshiki sits cross-legged on the floor next to a tower of books which shakes precariously from time to time indicating that these books are, indeed, magic. Ushijima attempts to fold in his wings and crouch next to the desk, while Tendou remains standing. There’s something about the Oracle that puts him off.

Yamauchi returns in record time with green tea in a delicate china teapot with matching dainty teacups. Sugawara pours them each an amount that could hardly qualify as a thimbleful. They hold themself (and the teacup) in a way that reminds the travellers of Goshiki’s grandfather, the owner of the store before Shirabu.

For a while, there’s no sound except tea-sipping from Sugawara. Goshiki’s about to take a sip when Semi discreetly slaps his hand. They know better than to swallow unknown beverages. _Especially_ from the Fair Folk.

“So. Friends. Why are you here?” Sugawara asks, a wide smile gracing his lips. It looks too full of teeth to Tendou.

“Sugawara-san, thank you for your hospitality. We’ve journeyed from a land afar to ask you for your advice in our Quest,” Shirabu begins, carefully keeping his tone polite and neutral.

“Oh, Shiratorizawa isn’t that far away. I see your dilemma though.” Sugawara taps their fingers on the desk, a rhythm that none of them quite catch.

“You know what, I haven’t had visitors since the last War. I’ll help you guys out for free!”

“But the last War was— _mmhf_ ” Goshiki’s wide eyed, and restrained by Semi, who frown-smiles at Sugawara, as if nothing was wrong, as if the last war wasn’t well over a millennium ago.

“With all due respect, Sugawara-san, I don’t think it’d be right for us to take this for granted.” _Aha _, thinks Tendou, _Shirabu’s too smart for this Oracle_.__

__“Fine, fine, I see your point. Regular treatment then, gentlemen? And dragon, of course?” Without waiting for a response, they turn to Yamaguchi._ _

__“Yamaguchi, don’t you think it’s time to test your abilities a little further? Let’s help them!” They smile a dazzling smile, and Tendou’s sure he’s caught a glance of a fang. Maybe two._ _

__All at once what little light filtered into the room flickers out like a matchstick flame. Without even a moment in the darkness, the air around Yamaguchi bursts into emerald flames, the air becomes soupy and stifling and downright chilly. Yamaguchi’s eyes glow a blinding green, his cowlick standing straight up, an antenna stretching to receive the fated signal._ _

__As soon as it started, the little show ended. They’re seeing stars in shades of orange and pink and regret by the time the fire dies out, and Sugawara’s congratulating Yamaguchi loudly. There’s a faint disorienting ringing sound that persists in their ears._ _

__“You did _great!_ An absolute spectacle! What did you See?” Sugawara leans over the desk, hands steepled in ill-disguised childish curiosity._ _

__“N-nothing much, there was a garden and some trees…”_ _

__“Helpful,” Semi murmurs under his breath, and Tendou, having caught that, snorts before covering it up with a cough._ _

__“It looked a lot like the Orchards of Hope, actually,” Yamaguchi says suddenly, plopping himself down on the floor._ _

__“Helpful,” Tendou mouths at Semi, who looks away before he can burst out laughing._ _

__“Sugawara-san—“_ _

__“Suga is fine.”_ _

__“Suga-san, I don’t want to sound ungrateful…but that isn’t much to go on. We’re here for one of our friends”—Shirabu gestures vaguely towards Ushijima, who looks at them with sleep-heavy eyes—“who has been turned into a dragon against his will. We want to find the Sorcerer who cast the spell so he can undo it.”_ _

__“I’m aware. I think if you make your way to the Orchards, you might find your cure there.”_ _

__They’re escorted out by Yamaguchi once again, Sugawara following a few steps behind. The antechamber looks different this time round. There’s a lit chandelier spilling light like honey on them. The fish tank with the jagged hole has a fish swimming in it, who smiles at them with human teeth. Candles smoke at the window ledges. There’s probably a couple more doors to their left, and a tangy metallic smell not unlike fresh blood that permeates the room._ _

__“Let them out through the East Gate, Yamaguchi.” Yamaguchi opens the red door that Tendou could almost swear materialised the second before. It swings out into a dusky twilight, the sun casting long shadows back into the room._ _

__“What? It’s sunset already?” Goshiki’s astonishment is mirrored in his friends’ faces as well._ _

__Sugawara laughs as Yamaguchi explains, “Time passes differently in this realm. The different doors open to different places. This one faces the east, it’s the closest we can get you to the Orchards.”_ _

__They nod slowly, trying to wrap their heads around this concept, time is something so bizarre not even Semi and Shirabu have spoken a word about it._ _

__They stand at the threshold, Ushijima and Semi engrossed in conversation about the night’s stay while Shirabu, in his teacher-mode, is pointing out rare herbs to Goshiki. Tendou stands at the threshold, trying to figure out what had stopped him from moving forward._ _

__“Flowers don’t grow for harvest, angels don’t look for halos in the dust,” Sugawara says suddenly._ _

__“Regret blooms in your lungs when secrets die on your tongue,” Tendou completes, surprised at himself for remembering this old saying of his people._ _

__“Ah, an angel in our midst?” Sugawara says, smile sharpening._ _

__Tendou smiles back, just as fiercely, a momentary bright disk whirring over his head. “I don’t know what you’re saying, Suga-san, I’m just a Peddler.”_ _

__Sugawara only nods knowingly and the door shuts with a soft click, disappearing from view, no doubt the work of a masterly Invisibility Spell._ _

__“Satori,” Ushijima calls, wings stretching in-and-out, over-and-under. The Oracle’s office must have been an uncomfortably tight squeeze for his new frame._ _

__Tendou makes his way over, where Goshiki has already engaged Ushijima in conversation—about dragon diets, no less, what either of them know about dragons, is beyond Tendou’s imagination._ _

__“You’re quiet about this. What were you and Suga-san talking about?” Shirabu asks, idly stirring up little whirls of wind and watching the leaves dance around them._ _

__“Nothing. He’s…” Tendou wrinkles his nose, “he’s like a spider. Spinning silvery translucent filaments, waiting to catch and unspool your entire being open in front of him.” Shirabu shivers at this description._ _

__“Let’s set up camp for tonight. We’ll turn Ushijima-san back, promise.”_ _

__After a good twenty minutes of listening to Ushijima explain to Tendou what flying felt like to the sound of Goshiki yawning, they curl up around Shirabu’s portable merrily burning Fire Bowl and fall asleep._ _

__

____

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰

“How much further is it?” Goshiki asks, for the tenth time.

“Not much, we’re almost there,” Semi replies, for the tenth time. 

“That’s what you said _last_ time, Semi-san!” Goshiki complains. Semi doesn’t reply, all his attention is devoted to the magic compass (conveniently pulled out from his Magic Sack).

They’ve been travelling north for the better part of an hour now, and Tendou’s tired. And close to tears. Shirabu looks much the same, his magic carpet had refused to take off this morning and poor Shirabu’s been forced to walk like the rest of them.

Perhaps Ushijima had it the worst, having to walk with the rest of them in his new body. It wasn’t fair, he’d said, that he could fly on ahead without them. The sky had clouded over and Shirabu had cautioned him against flying, anyway.

“There’s a circus ahead,” Shirabu says suddenly, breaking the silence, “we can ask for directions there.”

“We don’t need directions,” Semi frowns at the compass.

“We do,” Shirabu says firmly, and very nearly drags Semi towards the circus. Goshiki lets out a whoop of joy and runs after them. Tendou and Ushijima exchange a tired glance of and follow their friends, eager to get this over with. However, the first tent they arrive at is shut and there’s an inclement weather notice pinned up at the entrance in fancy calligraphy. 

“Should we knock anyway?” Ushijima asks, tail curling and uncurling, a sign that he was slightly anxious.

Shirabu steps forward and takes he plunge—he knocks twice at the door sharply. A couple of minutes go by before a grumpy looking man, not much older than Shirabu himself, pops his head out.

“Can’t you lot read? It says we’re shut today,” he says, jabbing a finger at the notice.

“We did, we just need directions to somewhere,” Shirabu grits out.

“Yeah? Well, get your directions somewhere else, too, we’re _shut_.” And with that, the man shuts the door on Shirabu’s tomato-red face. Tendou’s already feeling sorry for the poor boy who will, no doubt, feel the brunt of Shirabu’s anger. Before the earth can erupt with unrestrained anger (courtesy of Shirabu), the door opens again, this time revealing a shorter man with a weary look on his face. Tendou imagines that if he, too, had to deal with Grumpy Man, he’d look completely knackered too.

“Sorry about Futakuchi, he’s really adamant about doing absolutely nothing on his break and we asked him to open the door because he was the closest and he might’ve been short with you, and I’m sorry! What do you need?” He finally stops for a breath.

Shirabu seizes this opportunity to ask for help, “Hello, we’re just some travellers, lost on our way to the Orchards of Hope. Could you please direct us?” He then proceeds to put on what he probably thinks is a sweet smile but to Tendou it looks like he’s trying not to retch up a cat.

“Oh. Well…I’m not really familiar with this area, but Futakuchi does. Let me send him over.”

Futakuchi does appear, much to Shirabu’s chagrin and bristles under Futakuchi’s scrutiny. 

“So. Who’re you?” Futakuchi asks.

“A mage. You?” Shirabu 

“Your local banana man. What does it look like, Weird Hair?”

“A murdering retired sniper who was no good at his job?” Shirabu says under his breath.

“Say that again,” Futakuchi dares, an unnatural gleam in his eyes.

Shirabu, not one to back down from a challenge, is ready to repeat his words, but not before Semi interrupts him.

“Hi, we just want to know how to get to the Orchards of Hope.”

“The Orchards, huh? Funny you should come asking that. They’re round the back. Come on.” He turns and walks past them, yelling an ‘ _I’m going with these people, don’t wait up! Try not to lose your head, Kamasaki-san_ ’ on his way. A faint ‘ _shut up, brat!_ ’ is heard and angry-looking head rolls out the door.

They follow Futakuchi for a couple of hundred steps until suddenly they’re standing in the middle of an orchard.

“How…?” Goshiki asks in awe.

“You have to _hope_ you find yourself here,” Futakuchi jokes.

Semi rolls his eyes so hard that for a second Tendou is afraid for his friend. Shirabu’s eyes are wide and full of wonder, a faint murmuring of, “the golden apples of the Hesperides…I haven’t seen one with my own eyes…” 

Futakuchi leaves them to it, plucks a green apple off one of the trees and walks away, disappearing from view. A familiar figure takes his place, a face like thunder and a three-leaved branch sown in blue thread over his chest—the symbol of Aoba. Tendou thanks all his gods (and then some) for the Oracle’s words, for the figure was Iwaizumi Hajime, Oikawa’s friend and keeper.

“Where is Ushijima?” Iwaizumi inquires, with no fanfare, straight to the point.

“Here.” Ushijima stands, wings folded and posture straight, reminiscent of his human form.

“Oikawa sends his apologies. Apparently, if you ingest Limes of Fortune, you’ll turn back human.”

“Did he really apologise?” Goshiki asks.

Tendou scoffs, “As if. Thanks, Iwaizumi.”

Iwaizumi, who looks like he doesn’t know whether to nod and leave or punch Tendou for being _absolutely right_ , only nods. 

“How’d you find us?” Shirabu inquires. He has great respect for Oikawas skills.

“A freckled kid came to the palace to announce it. Prince Shigeru was pretty mad at Oikawa for it. He’s been put under probation for now,” Iwaizumi answers.

“Oh.”

They say their goodbyes and Iwaizumi vanishes with no trace.

“Was it that easy?” Ushijima blinks, as they walk to where the Limes of Fortune grow.

“Well,” Semi says, struggling to fish out yet another heavy tome from his trusty knapsack, this time labelled ‘Lemon Aide: a Lost Art, Vol 22’.

“Limes in general are great for many things. Citrons are super useful to healers, potion brewers, and the like.”

“Did you just take out the book for just one line?” Tendou asks, one eyebrow arched high.

“Maybe,” Semi replies, putting the book back.

Shirabu makes Goshiki climb up to the very tops, where the fresh fruit was ripe for plucking, and hands it to Ushijima, who eats it without flinching.

“I’ve heard Limes of Fortune are sour as all hell,” Semi whispers to Tendou in awe.

“When has Wakatoshi ever failed to surprise us?” Tendou whispers back.

They watch Ushijima transform into his human form once again without a flinch on his face, slowly chewing the lemon between his fangs and then his human teeth. A surreal sight, if you ask Tendou.

Ushijima inspects his hands and arms and neck, and the rest of them let out varying whoops of joy. All was well, once again.

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰

“Now that everything’s back to normal, any idea how we get out of this place?” Goshiki questions, sitting down on the soft grass at the base of a rare rainbow rose tree.

A fair question asked, no one has any answer to his question, for miles to the east and west, and north and south, all the eye can see is the Orchard.

Far away (or maybe fairly close, distance is meaningless to them), a silver haired figure sits in the chair of an overly cluttered office, sipping tea from a teacup probably meant for a Fairy’s dollhouse.

“Suga-san,” a dark haired youth asks, “those travellers…we didn’t tell them how to get to and out of the Orchard.”

The silver haired man smiles a sickly-sweet smile, and the stench of fresh blood fills the room suddenly.

“Let’s _hope_ they figure it out.”

**Author's Note:**

> this was the very first zine i ever wrote for and it honestly means a lot to me & it was fun going back after so long & seeing how my writing has changed over time!
> 
> let me know if u liked it (please) i crave validation like that mineral (dated meme is acceptable bc it was around that time i wrote this shut up)


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